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Visual

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Project Year

2022

Client

National Lottery: Good Causes - The Peoples Portraits

Lazerian has created two meaningful metal hand sculptures as part of the National Lottery Good Causes – People Portraits project. The sculptures were unveiled at The Roundhouse, a popular music venue in London. The design of the sculptures was inspired by the work of Signkid, also known as Kevin Walker, a deaf writer, producer, and rapper who has adapted British Sign Language (BSL) to create visual language for hip hop, rap, and urban music.

The project is aimed to celebrate the diversity and creativity of the UK’s arts scene by commissioning new works from a range of creatives.

The material used for the sculpture was raw metal, which was intentionally chosen to showcase imperfections such as grinding and welting marks. These marks are constantly changing with weather, just as a person’s hands change with age and use. This adds to the sculpture’s beauty and makes it a living, breathing work of art that evolves over time.

A sculpture by Liam Hopkins from Lazerian Studio representing the work of deaf producer and signsong rapper, Kevin Walker aka Signkid, outside the Roundhouse in London. Picture date: Tuesday November 1, 2022. PA Photo. The artwork forms part of The National Lottery’s Peoples’ Portraits series, celebrating the work being done to make the arts accessible for all. The artwork, created by Lazerian Studios, is an interpretation of Signkid’s work, and features two hand-shaped sculptures that form the ‘V’ shape, representing the BSL symbol for ‘Visual’. Photo credit should read: David Parry/PA Wire.
Two impressive metal hand sculptures outside London Roundhouse, inspired by Signkid's creative influence in British Sign Language (BSL) adaptation
Two massive metal hand sculptures outside London Roundhouse, inspired by Signkid. Artist Liam Hopkins is standing proudly alongside his creations, which are a tribute to Signkid's innovative British Sign Language (BSL) adaptation

British Sign Language for Visual

Visual is a two-hand-shaped sculpture that form a V-shape, which is the British Sign Language sign for “visual.” This inspired the title of the piece, which perfectly captures the essence of Signkid’s work and legacy.  Lazerian deliberately chose this sign as it was one of the few signs that could be portrayed using only two hands. Most signs require multiple hand gestures to form a word, making them difficult to represent in a sculpture.

Signkid’s efforts to make art more accessible to the deaf community have been recognized by the 2022 National Lottery Awards, and he is the winner of the Arts, Culture, and Film category hence why Lazerian was chosen to use his work as the basis of the origin for the sculptures.

The metal sculptures are an interpretation of Signkid’s work. At the beginning of the project time and research were conducted by the Lazerian team to look at a lot of the signs that Signkid used in his own creativity and work.  The way the sculptures capture the fluidity of hand gestures is essential. The sculptures are large and imposing, but also intricate and delicate, perfectly capturing the essence of Signkid’s work and overall message.

Two massive metal hand sculptures outside London Roundhouse, inspired by Signkid who is standing proudly alongside Lazerians creations, which are a tribute to Signkid's innovative British Sign Language (BSL) adaptation
“It’s very important to build a bridge between the deaf world and the hearing world to understand deaf people’s experiences in everyday life.” Signkid AKA Kevin Walker

In conclusion, the two large metal hand sculptures created by Lazerian as part of the National Lottery Good Causes – People Portraits project are a beautiful tribute to the work and legacy of Signkid. They serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of inclusivity in art and the transformative power of creative expression. The sculptures are a testament to the talent and creativity of two different artforms uniting and stand as a stunning piece of artwork that will inspire and captivate for years to come.

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